The Dragon Emperor.
Three holographic projections appeared before Zhao Chen.
Chief Engineer Annie, Chief Engineer Nana, and Chief Engineer Spider Queen Iris.
"For what business does the Commander summon us?" Chief Engineer Nana asked it respectfully.
Chief Engineer Spider Queen Iris wore a look of expectation as well.
Only Chief Engineer Annie stood with her hands behind her back, her head lowered, watching her own toe draw circles upon the floor.
Zhao Chen raised a hand and displayed several interstellar warship technologies.
"I have here several technologies of interstellar warships.
"Among them are two classes of T6 interstellar warship, and I would have you understand them and put them into production as soon as may be." This first word of Zhao Chen's was news of the topmost sort.
Technologies of T6 interstellar warships?
Chief Engineer Nana and the Spider Queen Iris ran up with quick steps and gathered round the holographic images of these two T6 classes.
The mass-production type of interstellar warship: the T6 Wrath-of-Heaven-Goddess-class Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ship.
The flagship type of interstellar warship: the T6 starship Southern Heaven Gate.
These are two interstellar warships altogether unlike one another.
But the title of T6 grade alone is enough to establish the standing of both.
"Are they truly T6 interstellar warships?" Chief Engineer Spider Queen Iris stared past all belief at those several sets of basic data set out before her.
Chief Engineer Annie, who came behind the other two.
Her eyes too were drawn a moment by these two T6 interstellar warships.
But she said, careless as ever, "If they are truly T6 interstellar warships, we have not at present the capacity to produce these two classes either.
"This building plan had better be put off a while yet."
Chief Engineer Annie's words were somewhat slothful, yet the other two Chief Engineers, hearing them, agreed as well.
The capacity of Owl Dragon industry has now come to its limit; to add the production tasks of two T6 classes besides would indeed be past accomplishing.
The more so as the war's consumption upon the forward battlefields must be answered now as well.
"I know that our Owl Dragon industry's case has now come to its limit; that though we go on without cease enlarging the industrial interstellar warships that serve it, we cannot within a short time answer the capacity that T6 interstellar warships require."
Zhao Chen said the case outright.
He paused, and went on, "Yet upon this point you need not trouble yourselves too greatly.
"I have already talked the matter over with the Machine Race's two of highest standing.
"They are willing to furnish us these five Machine Race starship industrial production grounds."
As Zhao Chen spoke he opened the star chart.
Upon it lay the Machine Race's territory; and within that territory, upon the side that lies toward the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group, were five regions marked off in a coppery yellow.
"The Machine Race's starship industrial production grounds?" Chief Engineer Nana, hearing this, changed countenance at once, and looked wonderfully interested.
"Yes.
"By what I understand of them at first view, these five starship industrial production points all possess the T5 grade of industrial production craft, and can produce a part of the fittings that T6 interstellar warships require.
"And where raw materials are supplied, they could of themselves answer for the production, every month, of ten thousand T5 Prisoner-class Heavy Interstellar Assault Battleships and of two hundred thousand T4-grade interstellar warships at the least," Zhao Chen set forth.
This was what Ah-Yin and Ah-Jin, after their discussion, had granted of Zhao Chen's request.
These starship production grounds will be lent to Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group; but the raw materials and such must be supplied by Owl Dragon itself.
The capacity of these five starship industrial production grounds already answers to a fifth of the capacity of the whole Machine Race territory.
From which one may imagine how terrible were those privileges the little girl had given Zhao Chen before.
Nay, it may be said that Zhao Chen's standing now.
Ranks within the first three of the Machine Race: saving the little girl, he comes next after Ah-Jin and Ah-Yin, those two of the Machine Race's highest standing.
"Wah… so many as that?" Chief Engineer Nana's eyes gave out light.
"In summoning you this time.
"It is that I hand you a task.
"Next you may need to travel out a little, to survey these five starship industrial production grounds upon the ground itself, and get the case of them clear.
"And then, using these starship industrial production grounds, to enlarge within a short time the industrial strength of our own Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group.
"To produce more T5 Galaxy-class Large Interstellar Industrial Bases and T5 Stellar-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships.
"And then to arrange within these Machine Race starship industrial production grounds the making of such parts of our interstellar warships as are not of great importance.
"And when they are made, to ship them on to the Owl Dragon Star System for assembly.
"And among these there is one task of the utmost secrecy: to use these Machine Race starship industrial production grounds to hasten the speed at which we produce our T6-grade interstellar warships.
"These may prove somewhat troublesome.
"But they are the weightiest tasks you have for this second half of the year." Zhao Chen looked in earnest at the three Chief Engineers.
"Excellent!
"I was but now saying to my elder sister that the Owl Dragon Star System's industrial foundation is not yet strong enough, and yet, by the case as it stands, there was no way to enlarge it.
"And here is the very chance to carry out an expansion upon the great scale!" Nana said, her eyes giving out light.
Beside her Chief Engineer Annie covered her face in something like despair.
This younger sister of hers… is a fine thing indeed…
"Oh — you have a plan ready already?" Zhao Chen looked at Chief Engineer Nana in surprise.
Chief Engineer Nana, without a second word, opened a document long since made ready.
And then began to set forth in particulars her plan for the industrial sector of the Owl Dragon Star System to come.
"Step one: we need more T5 Galaxy-class Large Interstellar Industrial Bases; the number we have in service is but three.
"And that is far from enough.
"I had planned at first to go slowly, and enlarge it to ten within the year.
"But now that we have so great a help as this.
"I hold that even ten cannot answer our needs at all.
"I propose that we go straight to thirty T5 Galaxy-class Large Interstellar Industrial Bases within half a year!
"Step two: the T5 Stellar-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships must be produced upon the great scale as well.
"They can not only assist in the production tasks of the T5 Galaxy-class Large Interstellar Industrial Bases; there is besides the repair of interstellar warships upon the field.
"And the building of star ports, star gates, and such interstellar works — all of these want interstellar industrial ships.
"At present the number of T5 Stellar-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships we have in service is but fifty; that is far from enough, and we are just now in a stage of expanding upon the great scale.
"I propose that we take this chance.
"And carry the number of T5 Stellar-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships built straight up to a thousand within half a year!" As Chief Engineer Nana spoke, there was a stir of excitement in her tone.
And beside her, Annie's very body was trembling.
"Annie, what counsel have you upon Nana's plan?" Zhao Chen looked at the Annie whose face had gone so odd, and asked it.
"I… I have no counsel…" Annie squeezed out a slight smile; but then she said, "Yet I hold that an expansion plan so great as this.
"Will want a great deal of raw material, and we are moreover in the midst of a great war of the universe.
"As for that matter of raw materials…"
Annie looked toward Zhao Chen, as though she had caught at some straw to save her life.